Curry Commotion
by Willowbright
Summary: Let's make curry [the Trickster] said, it'll be fun [the Trickster] said. *cue Wicked Plan*
1. Chapter 1

**Curry Commotion**

Leblanc was an obscure, charming, little café tucked away in a narrow alley in Yongen-Jaya. Its owner took pride in maintaining the place at regular hours and serving up the best coffee and curry one could find in Tokyo. Jars and jars of assorted coffee beans lined the shelves in neat rows. Silver kettles held freshly boiled water, ready for coffee making. The coffee machines burbled over individual burners like some kind of caffeine-fueled mini-laboratory. Stacks of white plates had been laid out next to the rice cooker. On the stove was a medium-sized stock pot of curry, always simmering, awaiting the next hungry customer. The tantalizing scent of coffee and curry swirled and mingled in the air, merging together to form that unique aroma of earthy and spicy - reflective of the owner's nature and philosophy behind the café. Leblanc even had a miniature library of old books and magazines free for customers to peruse as well as crossword puzzles for those who wanted to exercise the ol' noggin. A beautiful painting of a mother holding her child wrapped in swaddling cloths, greeted customers at the entrance.  
The customer base was largely made up of elderly folk who had time to lounge around for, "fours hours for just a single cup of joe.".

Leblanc was also the ideal place for seven teenagers and one cat to hangout and/or study. Such was the case today when the Phantom Thieves gathered together, taking over four of the booths. Sojiro, who decided this lengthy group study session indicated it was a good time to close up shop, had stepped out to run some errands, promising he would be back shortly.

Textbooks, notebooks, and pencil cases were spread over the table. There were also a couple open bags of potato chips and empty soda cans and coffee cups - leftovers from a recent study break. Futaba hunched over one and nibbled on a chip, one at a time with her chopsticks. Haru took small, ladylike sips of her coffee, savoring the smooth profile and fruity aftertaste. She scratched Morgana behind his ears who lay contentedly in her lap. She giggled quietly to herself when he purred and rolled over for a belly rub.  
Makoto walked down the aisle checking on everyone's progress. She had suggested dividing themselves into booths based on subject, after seeing how distracted everyone was being in the same booth. She pointed out the fact that the second years had only a couple days left to study which was not enough time to cover everything. Everyone agreed to give it a try.

She saw Ren tapping his pencil on his notebook, spin it between his fingers, then tap, then spin, and repeat. She strode over and thumped a hand down on his notebook. Ren suddenly found himself under the merciless gaze of the honor student cum team strategist reserved for intimidating belligerent shadows and procrastinating students alike. An impromptu staring contest between tutor and tutee had begun.

She raised one eyebrow.  
_What are you doing?_  
He blinked.  
_What am I doing?_  
She inclined her head at the pencil in his hand.  
_Having yourself a little study break?_  
He rubbed the back of his neck.  
_Sorta?_  
_Our last study break was more than twenty minutes ago. Now. How far have you gotten with Japanese History?_

His eyes flickered nervously towards his notebook as hers narrowed. With one hand, she leafed through his notes. Doodles of the Phantom Thief logo decorated the borders of his history notes. So the rumors of the wannabe Phanboy delinquent transfer student drawing the Phantom Thief logo on the blackboard were only half true.

Admittedly, it was rather fitting given that the lecture was on the Warring States period, specifically the Honnou-ji Incident, but still...  
Her eyes rolled over to him in exasperation. His eyebrows raised in alarm and he immediately pointed an accusatory finger at Yusuke who was currently lounging on a bar stool, as it was not exam season for Kosei. Off her look again, he spun his pencil lead-side down on the page and resumed his writing. She continued down the next booth where Ann and Ryuji sat, puzzling over English grammar. After helping Ann explain the trickier prepositions and conjunctions that were likely to appear on the test to Ryuji, she checked on Futaba and Haru. Haru gave Makoto a little wave. She had two cups of coffee in front of her and was jotting down something on her phone. Futaba sat with her knees curled up to her chest, plotting the many ways she could poke Morgana from across the table without moving from her spot. Makoto then returned to her booth seat opposite of Ren. As she settled into her seat, Ren grabbed her history book out of the stack of their textbooks. He opened it to the bookmarked page and handed it to her. She smiled in thanks.

Presently Ann said, "I feel like curry all of a sudden. Anyone else?"  
Ryuji clamped his hands over his ears. "Stop! Stop! Stop! You're making me hungry! We're supposed to be studying!"  
He slumped over his homework. "It's no good...losing...motivation…must...talk...like...this..."  
Makoto looked up from her notes. "I always get the urge to make some right before tests. I like to experiment with the spice blend."  
Yusuke put a hand to his chin, as if fondly recalling a long-lost memory. "Curry. My mouth waters just at the sound of it. I've yet to taste it again."  
"Forgetful Fox. You just had it a couple days ago. I was the one who brought it out to you." Futaba huffed to herself. Haru raised a petite hand over her mouth and laughed quietly.  
Ren's glasses glinted. He suddenly came over to Ryuji and Ann's table and declared, "Let's have a curry contest. Right here in Leblanc. Split off into pairs, Iron Chef style."  
Ryuji clapped his hands and pointed at Ren. "That's what I'm talkin' about!"  
"I like the way you think! Let's do it tomorrow!" Ann said, bobbing her head up and down enthusiastically.  
Makoto came beside Ren. "Wait, making curry takes at least 2 hours. You need to let the curry simmer for at least an hour at minimum to bring out the taste."  
"For real?!"  
"Yes, that's the nice thing about curry. While it simmers, you can take care of other things. Ah, but you have to remember to come back and stir it every so often so the bottom doesn't burn."  
"Aww man, I dunno if I can wait that long."  
"Don't you think it'd be nice learn how to make curry for say, dinner?" Ann hooked her arm around Ryuji's shoulders, sweeping her hand out dramatically towards the ceiling. Ryuji followed her hand, as if that allowed him to share in what she envisioned. "Imagine this: your mom comes home after a long day from work. She's greeted by the smell of warm curry and piping hot rice. And then her son greets her with a big smile on his face and food on the table."  
It did sound very nice. Then his mom could just put her feet up and relax for once. Or even once or twice a month if he got good at this.  
Ryuji scratched his cheek. "Well...okay."  
"I don't know much about curry. I'm more accustomed to Hayashi Rice. This will be quite interesting." Haru remarked.  
Morgana jumped out of Haru's lap and onto the table. "OOH! And I'll be the commentator!"  
Ren nodded. It would be the perfect event to look forward to, right after exams. "So let's have the contest this Saturday. Everyone good?"  
"No objections!" said the Phantom Thieves in unison.  
Ren held a fist up to Makoto. "I'll be counting on you, Study Partner." he said with a wink.  
She tapped it with her own. "Mm-hmm. Likewise."  
Ann smiled widely at the sight of Ren and Makoto's camaraderie. She held out a hand towards Ryuji who was also staring at them. "Ryuji!"  
"No fair!" he whined. "You two are the ones with the most cooking experience! That means they're obviously gonna win! You gotta switch with me, man!"  
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ann, raising an eyebrow.  
"N-nothin'..."  
"Should we draw straws? I'm quite confident in my luck." Ren pushed his glasses up causing the glare from the lamps overhead to obscure his eyes.  
A chill went down Ryuji's spine and in that moment, he felt like he could sympathize with the Shadows who cowered beneath Joker's glare right before he initiated an All Out Attack. He quickly glanced from Ren who appeared to be emitting an increasingly intimidating aura despite wearing a placid smile, to an indignant Ann who had her cheeks puffed, her arms crossed, and was waiting for a proper answer.  
"N-nah. Er, good to be working with ya, Ann." He held up his hand, grinning sheepishly. After a moment, Ann returned his high-five.  
Makoto turned to Futaba. "Futaba, what do you want to do?"  
Futaba popped up from her seat and raised her hand high. "Me and Inari will also participate!"  
"I'd rather be a judg-"  
"But the winner will obviously be Sojiro!"  
"But he's not even in the contest…" said Ryuji.  
Futaba hummed and wagged her finger. "Sojiro wins by default. All y'all are 100 years too early to make curry of his caliber."  
"Which makes Sojiro the Iron Chef." exclaimed Haru, clapping her hands together conclusively.  
"Ergo, whoever wins earns the right to challenge Boss for the title of the Curry Iron Chef." said Makoto, tapping her fist to her palm.  
"What? That's a boring prize." called Ryuji, who was now reclining in his seat. He let his arm do the talking. "Ain't no way we can beat Boss, 'specially on his own turf."  
Ren laughed. "Okay, so maybe not Iron Chef exactly but in the spirit of. As for a prize..."  
Haru caught his eye and she looked at her empty coffee cups thoughtfully.

Futaba whirled over to where Yusuke sat and tugged on his sleeve. "btdubs Inari, when're you gonna show me around your school?"  
"Save me…" he groaned, edging off his seat.  
"Don't be like that. It'll be fun!"  
"I believe your definition of fun and my mine are on two opposite spectrums."  
She pouted and twiddled her thumbs. "Otherwise I'll just have to go by myself…b-but I think I'll be okay. This is just another step towards being outside on my own. Mapless. Guildless. Zero items in my inventory. No party members..."  
Yusuke sighed. "Very well. I'd feel responsible if you were to get lost on campus. But you must stay close to me at all times, Futaba. You're rather hard to keep track of."  
Her hair antennae swished back and forth or perhaps it was just the air blowing through the vents. "For reals?"  
"So that you don't disturb other students while they work. Understand? A majority of these students are on a strict deadline and the projects they work on are their livelihood, so it is vital you do not interrupt them."  
She nodded vigorously. Yusuke thought some more. "Not to mention there's a certain maze-like area in the main building that can be rather confusing especially for newcomers. The hallways converge into a spiral that can be difficult to navigate at first; however I find the architect's design quite fascinating. If I ever meet the man who designed our school's building, I should like to shake his hand."  
"A maze? Tell me more!"  
"Later. I'll be sure to draw a map for you."

"That makes three teams so far." Ann said, tallying off the teams on her fingers.  
Morgana nodded then looked over at Haru who was giggling at Yusuke and Futaba's banter. "That just leaves Haru…"  
Makoto put a hand on her chin. "It doesn't have to be in pairs. One of the teams can have three people. That way everyone's included and Morgana gets to be commentator."  
Haru giggled. "Actually, allow me to be a judge alongside Mona-chan. And in return, you'll all be judges for me."  
"For what?" Makoto asked.  
"For this." She produced a brown paper bag of coffee beans.  
"Your goal is to make the best curry to pair with my coffee. As a small incentive, I'll provide a prize to the winners. I haven't quite decided what it is but I promise it will be something good."  
"Just as long as it doesn't contain elephant poop..." said Ren under his breath.  
"What was that, Ren-kun?" Haru asked pleasantly.  
"Nothing…"  
Haru turned to Morgana and held out her hand. "On that note Mona-chan, let's do our best as fellow judges."  
Morgana high-fived her palm. "Yeah! I'm looking forward to what you have in store for us."  
Ryuji's eyes flashed with excitement. "I dunno what it is but we gotta win this, Ann!"  
"That's the spirit!"  
Ren nodded. "I'll make sure Boss is okay with us using the kitchen."  
"Leave it to me!" said Futaba. "I'm sure Sojiro will be okay with it as long as we clean up."  
"And then we'll need to buy the ingredients. I'd prefer not to deplete Leblanc's food inventory for our little contest." Makoto began ticking off ingredients with her fingers. "Let's see, potatoes, onions, carrots, pork or maybe chicken? Beef's kind of expensive. And of course the roux..."  
Ren patted Makoto on the shoulder. "About the ingredients. I have an idea. Come with me."  
The team strategist noted the gleam in his eyes. Their leader was clearly up to some kind of mischief which meant she was going to have to keep him in line.  
She smirked. "Where are you taking me this time?"  
Ryuji sat up and hooked his arm over the back of the booth seat. A wide, toothy smile set on his face at the sight of the couple locked in another impromptu staring contest. "What's up? Looks like you two are up to something fun."  
Ren simply grinned. "A surprise."


	2. Chapter 2

**Day of the Curry Contest**

Ryuji yawned. Normally, Saturdays were for sleeping in followed by video games, followed by throwing whatever was available in the fridge into the microwave, followed by more video games. But today, he and his friends were about to make the best curry for lunch ever. It was like Home Ec but way more exciting.

"Boss was awful generous, providing all the spices and rice we can eat. I'll never badmouth the lack of customers ever again."

"You kind of just did." Ann pointed out.

"I'm telling, Boss." Ren called from across the kitchen.

"Quit ganging up on me, you two!" he whined.

"Anyway, Ren!" Morgana's tail thumped on the table urgently. "Are you gonna show them what you bought for the contest?"

"Right." Ren produced two plastic bags and set on the counter. "Okay, guys. We all know the basic ingredients that make up curry. So to spice things up, Makoto and I have bought some secret ingredients. Behold!"

With a flourish, he reached into the bag and whisked out the first item.

"Apples?" Haru inquired. Its rosy red luster sent her back to simpler times when her grandfather was around.

Makoto shined one on her shirt and held it up to the light. "Yes, when you grate them, it adds a mild sweetness to the curry and balances the spice in the curry. I usually use one whole apple whenever I make curry."

"I thought we were making curry not applesauce." Ryuji snickered.

"Ryuji-kun, please be quiet and let Ren-kun finish." said Haru, pointedly tapping a measuring spoon on the flat of her palm.

"Yes, ma'am."

Ren set the apples on the countertop. He made sure to place each revealed ingredient from his bag in a neat 2x3 row.

"Honey! Its sweetness melds well with the spiciness of curry and it'll also tenderize the meat while it's cooking."

Ann's sweets radar went off. "I'm so adding that to our curry!"

"Yogurt! Plain, of course."

Makoto went to retrieve serving utensils from the kitchen drawers and Ren continued his presentation. "A classic for Indian curry! If your curry's too spicy, just add some yogurt to balance it out."

Yusuke nodded in approval. "Not to mention a good source of protein, probiotics, and a boost to your immune system. Futaba, this is a most essential ingredient!"

"Yeah! I've seen Sojiro use yogurt in his curry so it has to be good."

Ren placed a small browned glass bottle on the counter. "It's what people love dumping on their fries and slabs of grilled meat."

Ryuji snapped his fingers. "Steak sauce! That's the ingredient for me!"

"It adds acidity and richness to the overall depth and flavor of the curry."

"You can also use oyster sauce as an alternative. I remember Boss telling Ren that one time." Morgana sniffed the bag. "I smell something sweet in there."

When Ann saw the wrapping she squealed with delight. "Chocolate?!"

"Okay, that's weird." Ryuji scrunched up his face, puzzling over how chocolate could possibly make curry taste good.

"Peculiar would be the word I'm looking for." Yusuke chimed in. "Honey and apples are one thing. But chocolate… I must say, this truly is an eclectic assortment of secret ingredients."

Ren scratched his head. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. But apparently adding chocolate during stewing can give the curry a deep, rich flavor. It's recommended that you only use a little."

Ann kept staring at the little rectangles wrapped in foil. "Hey, Ren. Could we maybe have some before or during cooking?"

All the girls looked at him expectantly.

"Uh, I don't know if there will be enough for the curry."

They kept staring at him. Futaba in particular stared him down with puppy-dog eyes. So that was why Makoto wanted an extra bar. "Fine. But only square per person. Yes, Yusuke you can have a piece too."

He plopped the bar into Makoto's waiting hand which had entered his peripheral vision the moment he obliged and she divvied up the chocolate. While everyone munched on their piece of chocolate, Ren pulled out a small, brown canister with a red cap from the bag.

"Instant coffee."

"That seems redundant. I mean for Leblanc." said Ann, licking her lips.

"Coffee in curry should pair well with coffee I would imagine. Wouldn't you say so, Haru?" asked Yusuke.

"I would like to give my opinion but I'll refrain being a judge and all. But I will say that I would be interested in the result."

"Well, the bitterness of the coffee is supposed to enhance the flavor. I've never tried it myself, though." said Makoto, remembering what Ren had explained to her during their shopping trip at Super Muramasa Supermarket.

Ryuji stuck out his tongue. "Blech! Why would anyone want a bitter dish?"

Futaba raised her hand. "You can count me out."

Ren splayed his hands over the secret ingredients displayed on the counter. "And that's it."

"He almost considered buying red wine but we're minors so..." Makoto glanced at him and shrugged.

"Everyone is free to choose what secret ingredients they'd like to put in their curry, as much as they want or as little as they want. I recommend picking one or two."

"However, moderation is key. You may be tempted to add a whole jar of honey, for example, but that will just drown out all the other flavors. Also, please remember to leave enough of the ingredients for each team." Makoto added.

While the group looked at each of the ingredients they had their eye on, Ren motioned to Futaba.

She nodded, grabbed her laptop, and hooked it to a projector. Ren hooked a bed sheet to one of Leblanc's walls as a makeshift projector screen.

"Attention everyone. Futaba, take it away."

"Okay guys, you all came to Ren's Curry Tutorial for Noobs but we whipped up a PowerPoint listing all the steps. Go!"

The PowerPoint _PINGed _and the instructions slid onto the screen point by point.

Futaba rocked back and forth on her heels. "It's no sequential image stereophonic multimedia event but it's easy to follow."

"Remember guys, we're here to have fun. Feel free to ask me or Makoto for help." Makoto nodded assent.

"Sojiro also made the roux for us earlier this morning to save some time and stove space." said Futaba, placing a large bowl of brown paste next to the group of secret ingredients.

"Okay, ladies and gentleman." Morgana leapt onto the counter and strutted back and forth, fully taking on his role as commentator and floor reporter. "Leblanc is the culinary stadium in which you have gathered on this bright and smokey autumn afternoon. Use all your knowledge, proficiency, and creativity, to create artistic, mouthwatering bowls of curry - of the likes we've never tasted before! The team that emerges victorious shall gain the others' ovation and fame forever."

"Hear! Hear!" The Phantom Thieves cheered.

"Haru! I'll be counting on your _zesty and colorful _commentary."

"Leave it to me, Mona-chan!"

"Alright! You have 1.5 hours from the moment I press the timer...Ready...**START**!"

Haru clapped her hands together. "Good luck, everyone!"

* * *

"Stir fry the meat first!" Ren grabbed one of the metal bowls of raw pork, already prepped and sliced into chunks.

"Hot pan, olive oil in." He fired up the stove and waited for the bottom of the stock pot to heat up before drizzling about a tablespoon of oil into it. The chunks of meat sizzled and browned and soon the smell of fried meat filled the air.

Morgana scurried around, throwing out comments like a highly-caffeinated sports announcer.

"Whoa there! Ren makes the first move! Watch the way he expertly flips each piece of meat to ensure that they're evenly cooked. And - hey! I can't see! Move your legs!"

"Mona-chan, wait!" Haru quickly scooped up Morgana. "Let's commentate from the bar. We don't want to get in their way."

"I guess you're right," said a slightly miffed Morgana but his attention quickly returned to the other teams. "It looks like Team Yusuke and Futaba are still deciding who's going to do what. Meanwhile, Team Ryuji and Ann are-!"

"Now pick one: cook the meat or cut up the onions?" said Ann, pointing to the stove then to the cutting boards.

"Meat! No, onions! Aww, man I wanna do everything!"

"We're supposed to work together as a team! Right?" she implored.

"Yeah, but," Ryuji looked at his shoes and kicked at the ground. "I'm a hands-on approach kinda guy. And I gotta get this down pat. For mom."

Ann's expression softened.

"I get you. Listen," She put her hands on his shoulders. "It's not like this is the only time we'll make curry. We can always try again another day. I'll help you. 'kay?"

Ryuji grinned and grabbed a yellow onion. "'kay. So, I'll deal with the veggies and you cook the meat. Sound good?"

Ann had expected him to choose meat but she was fine either way. "Gotcha. Let's do this!"

She placed their stock pot left of Team Ren and Makoto's and fired up the stove.

She pointed her finger at the burner as it ignited. "Agi!"

Ren and Yusuke stared at her.

"What?" she asked flatly. "I know you guys were thinking it too. Pass me the butter will you?"

Ren gave her a thumbs up as he handed her a stick of butter.

While the pork bathed in a generous amount of butter, Ryuji headed to the cutting station where Makoto had just finished dicing the onions.

From the bar counter, Morgana purred at the kindness demonstrated among his fellow Thieves.

"Lady Ann, how magnanimous!" he crooned. "How altruistic! Ryuji, you better be grateful! By the way, did I mention how gorgeous you look in that apron?"

"M-Mona-chan. Why don't we see how Yusuke-kun and Futaba are doing?" suggested Haru, gesturing towards the stove.

"Oh right! Pardon me for getting sidetracked. Yusuke appears to have started on the meat but that's okay! We're only ten minutes in!"

Yusuke balanced a bowl of meat in his fingers over the pot. "Easy does it. Easy does it now." He gripped the rim of the bowl, wide-eyed, watching the oil smoke.

"Any minute now…" Ren muttered.

"You can do it!" Ann whispered loudly, holding her breath.

Yusuke inhaled sharply, shut his eyes, and with his spatula, flung all the chunks of pork into the pot. He was greeted by the sound of quietly sizzling pork. The oil had not splattered everywhere nor into his face, as he initially feared it would.

"Ah!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "There's a saying, 'out of the frying pan, into the fire' but I have achieved the opposite - literally! Not one piece of pork was wasted."

"Good for you, man." Ryuji yelled, hacking away at the carrots.

"Yeah, what Ryuji said. Now let's turn up the heat." Ren switched the dial back to HI.

"Ren, witness this marvelous change in color! See how the meat transforms from a pale pink to glossy brown. Why, I'm almost tempted to consume it this instant."

"Yusuke, you gotta-" Ren quickly stirred the meat for him, decreasing the fire to a medium-HI. "Don't want it to turn black."

"I see. You have my thanks." He flipped the meat in a stiff and clunky manner, unaccustomed to cooking or being near open flame for that matter.

"You want to add salt?" Ren asked, offering him a salt grinder. He stared at the crystals of coarse sea salt in wonder.

"The whole thing?"

"Uh, no. Just a few twists."

"I shall. Futaba, I'm to add salt to our pork. Is that alright?"

They heard water sloshing around from the sink then the squeak of the faucet. "F-fine! Just make sure to add a few twists. That's what Sojiro does. No pepper though."

Ren smiled, as if to say, 'See?'.

Ann handed Yusuke a clean bowl. "Here, once you're done cooking the meat, scoop it out into this bowl. I'm going to go check on Futaba-chan. Ryuji, are the onions ready?"

Haru looked from the countdown timer to the team members who were busy chopping vegetables. She turned around to read the PowerPoint recipe then returned her attention to the members at the cutting station.

"How's everyone doing, Haru?" asked Morgana.

"Twenty minutes have elapsed. Futaba's been washing the carrots and potatoes this whole time. She's being quite thorough. I'm sure there isn't a speck of dirt on them. My, my it looks like Ryuji-kun skipped a step and chopped up carrots before onions."

Ann swiped the knife from Ryuji. "You know what? I'll chop up the onions. Then you can go back to cutting the potatoes and carrots. Make sure you cut them smaller."

"What am I supposed to do then?"

"Go get the pot ready for the onions. Keep it on low heat. And get some honey for us. And chocolate. Definitely chocolate. What about you? Which secret ingredient do you want?"

"Steak sauce, duh."

She waved him off and began slicing the onions. "Good! Go! And don't forget the chocolate!"

"I know, Ann! Don't gotta tell me twice." He jogged over to the judges panel and picked up the chocolate first. "One bar should do it...right?"

"Don't ask me." Morgana jerked his head at the PowerPoint. "Look at the tips."

"'Half a bar. Add in small amounts.' But I'm pretty sure Ann's gonna want more. Then again we got honey. Oh crap - what about the spices? Aww screwit! We're running out of time!"

He juggled the jar of honey, the chocolate, and the steak sauce bottle in his arms and ran to the stove.

Morgana pranced up and down the counter. "Team Ryuji and Ann are the first to pick their secret ingredients!"

"Hell yeah! First!" Ryuji hollered over Morgana's commentary. Morgana paused for few seconds. "Ahem. Their selection of honey and chocolate, expertly chosen by Lady Ann tells me they'll be making a sweet curry. A fine choice when choosing a flavor to balance out the bitterness in coffee."

Haru nodded approvingly. "Don't forget the steak sauce. Mmm, a savory-sweet curry. I can't wait to try it!"

"_Right?!_ I can't either!"

Makoto handed Ren a small bowl. He added it to the pot then helped Yusuke transfer the cooked pork to a wooden bowl. He handed the small bowl back to Makoto who returned to the cutting station and proceeded to chop and peel the potatoes.

"It appears Team Ren and Makoto have completed cooking the pork and Ren is currently sweating the onions. And I see Mako-chan has chosen grated apples as one of their secret ingredients."

Haru folded her hands together and silently cheered for her friends who had less experience with cooking.

"Futaba-chan? Are you okay?" Ann wiped her hands after slicing the onions.

Futaba jerked. Water splashed out of the sink. "Pay me no mind." she squeaked. "I'm fine. Just fine!"

"Excuse me." Makoto returned with an empty bowl. "I need to chop up the potatoes. Futaba? May I have one please?"

"Take it! It's yours." She thrust a potato into Makoto's hand and crouched beside the sink.

Makoto and Ann exchanged glances. "Um, Futaba-chan..." Ann began cautiously. "Do you need some help cutting the onions?"

Futaba shot up like a jack-in-the-box. "O-o-of course not! C-cutting onions is totally within my level."

With a knife clenched in her right hand, she dangled it over an onion, like the Sword of Damocles. "Cat's paw...cat's paw...cat's paw..." she chanted, as her left hand clenched and unclenched. She stabbed the middle of the onion and cleaved it in half. "See? There. I did it."

Makoto reached over and took the knife from her. "Good job. Now just cut off the root, like this. And for the next onion, remove the onion skin before you start cutting. Here, I'll show you how to slice it, okay?"

Futaba fidgeted with the end of her apron and said nothing.

Ann smiled encouragingly and made a cat's paw with her hand. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You've just about got it. Cat's paw, right?"

"But…"

"Just watch me." Makoto took one half of the onion and sliced it along the lines. "We'll just do quarters since that's easier. If you don't want to bring your hand near the blade, just place it over the top of the knife and press down. Now you try."

Futaba slowly pushed the knife through the other half of the onion and halved it. She looked at Makoto who had started peeling potatoes.

"Okay. Let's do about five more slices."

Futaba grunted and slowly cut the onion into fourths then eighths. The knife thunked on the board with each cut, sounding off the amount of effort Futaba gave. "I - I did it!"

Ann patted her on the shoulder then went to trade places with Ryuji. "Great! Now bring it over to Yusuke."

Futaba hoisted the bowl over her head and dashed over to the stove. Team Yusuke and Futaba were finally on the next step.

Makoto smiled and began chopping the potatoes. She used her knife to sweep the potatoes and carrots into a bowl in one fell swoop and went to deliver them just as Ryuji charged in with two large carrots in hand.

"Ren, chopped carrots and potatoes are ready!"

"Thanks. I'm gonna need-"

"The roux next right? And I've got a mix of cumin, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg right here."

She held both bowls out to him. He sifted the bowl containing Makoto's spice mix and added it to their curry in small amounts.

"I was thinking of adding honey to pair with the grated apples and meat. What do you think?"

She nodded. "Okay. Which means you're going to need it when it starts stewing. Start adding the roux. I'll be right back."

He grinned.

They were in perfect sync.

"Comin' through!" Ryuji carried a cutting board loaded with large carrot chunks, ready to dump everything into the pot.

"Ryuji! Chop the carrots into smaller pieces!"

"It's fine!" he yelled, pushing the board towards the uncovered pot. "We're gonna fall behind!"

Ann tilted the board away. "You need to cut them into a consistent size otherwise it won't cook evenly!"

"Then just turn up the heat!" said Ryuji cranking the stove dial to HI. "Ain't nobody got time for simmering!"

"Everything'll burn! Is that what you want? Charred curry?"

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not consume burned curry and run the risk of ingesting carcinogens." said Yusuke in a matter-of-fact tone. He pushed the onions to one side of the pot, checking for translucency before spreading them out in the center. "I'm sure our judges would say the same."

Ryuji groaned.

Ren nodded as Ann rotated the stove dial to LOW. "She's right, Ryuji. Remember that one time we got beef bowls but the rice wasn't cooked in the center? That's what'll happen if you cook carrots that big."

"Ugh, 'cause there were tons of people that day and they just couldn't keep up with the demand so they rushed it." Ryuji groaned again. "FINE! I'll do it over!"

"Wait!" she called and ran after him. "You forgot to peel the potatoes! Whoa! Excuse me, Makoto!"

"No, excuse me." Makoto swerved out of the way, clutching a glass jar protectively, like a football.

"All right, Queen! Beautifully dodged!" came Morgana's voice from the judging panel.

"Ren, honey."

"Thanks, _honey_." This time, Ren purposely let his fingers trail down her wrist and over her hand before taking it. She twitched. He smirked.

Insolence! Audacious! Scoundrel! How dare he _sneak-flirt _because he _knew _he could get away with it!

Her eyes flashed dangerously and she cursed inwardly for her inability to blush at will.

_Time, place, and occasion, Ren! TPO!_

Ren's smirk just grew wider.

"Haru, we're at the one hour mark - ONE HOUR REMAINING, PEOPLE! - and I noticed you haven't started on your coffee. Are you going to have enough time?"

"That's a good question." she replied, rustling the brown paper bag containing her home-grown coffee beans. "Coffee is something that must be prepared fresh and consumed immediately. If I started now, I'd be judging curry with cold coffee."

Morgana bristled. "Not that I care for coffee but that sounds unappetizing."

Haru nodded. "Exactly. So I'll start making coffee around the last twenty minutes. But now that you mention it, I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to start assembling what I need to make the coffee."

"Okay. Just ask Ren or me if you need help finding something."

"I most certainly will!" She clapped her hands together. "Now, back to our teams."

By this time, Team Ren and Makoto had begun the boiling process with Team Ryuji and Ann following shortly after. Yusuke, still waiting on the potatoes shut the stove off and capped the pot, then went to check on Futaba. She had peeled the carrots with Ann's help but insisted she cut them herself saying she couldn't have everyone do all the work for her.

Yusuke tilted his head. "Perhaps we could switch?"

"No! I can do this! J-just makes sure our curry doesn't boil over!"

"I assure you that's not going to happen; I've shut off the fire. The contents of our curry are currently pork and onions and salt. But no pepper according to your preferences. We cannot advance to the boiling step until we've added the carrots, potatoes, and water."

She whined. "It's my fault. I said leave the cutting to me but using a knife was...I even needed to have Ann and Makoto help me..."

"Futaba, you've nothing to be ashamed about. If you weren't comfortable handling a knife you should have said so in the first place." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come now. Why don't we trade places? I may not look it, but I am adept with a blade. One of our school projects involving clay-"

"Forty-five minutes remaining! You can do it everyone!" Haru called through cupped hands.

"Bust a move!" screeched the cat.

"-complete with Oda Nobunaga's family crest. It was very well received."

Futaba's head jerked up, running through the steps in her head. "Have you added the roux yet?"

"I have not."

"Fine. You. Veggies. Me. Stove." She held out her hand. "Tag in, Inari!"

He slapped it she and bounded over to the stove. She stood on her tiptoes grabbed the spatula and a bowl of roux. "I can barely see the top."

"Here." Ren wrapped his arms around her stomach and lifted her up. "Better?"

"So high! Thanks Ren!" She added the roux and a few garlic cloves. Ren helped her turn the stove dial to LOW.

Yusuke arrived with a bowl of chopped potatoes. "I've cubed the potatoes. You may start adding water. I should be back with the carrots shortly."

"Hey, Inari!" she called while Ren helped her add water to their pot. "What spices should we add?"

"I suggest the common ones: cumin, turmeric, and cardamom. And perhaps a pinch of coriander."

Ann looked up from her carrot cutting. "That reminds me! Wait - Ryuji we were supposed to peel the potatoes before cutting them - whatever. We'll make this work."

"Huh? What? We missing something?" asked Ryuji, eager to dump potatoes and carrots into their curry - if Ann would just finish already! He channeled his impatience to his foot, _tap tap tapping_ the floor at a jackhammer's pace.

She raised her index finger. "Spices! Which ones do you want?"

"Oh, uh, I dunno. Which ones smell good?" He scratched his head. "Hey, Ren! What do you suggest we add?"

"Can't go wrong with cumin."

"If it's nice smelling spices you want, you guys should add cinnamon and nutmeg. But go easy on the nutmeg. Pretty powerful stuff." Futaba chirped.

"Okay, thanks! We don't call her Navi for nothin'!"

Futaba looked up at Ren, grinning like a shark. "Poison ailment for the uninitiated so beware..."

Ren gulped at the way Futaba said it so casually, like a random fact of the day found in a newspaper. Nobody was going suffer nutmeg poisoning while they were under Leblanc's roof. Not on his watch. "Right. Hey, your curry's started to boil."

"Here we go turbo speed!" She grabbed the handle with both hands and began stirring the curry at a furious pace. "Shaaa~! Secret move! Curry Vortex Whirlpool of DOOM!"

The curry sloshed back and forth but miraculously did not spill over. Ren was a little worried the pot would tip over if Futaba exerted more power.

"Okay Futaba," he said, eying his own bubbling pot of curry. "I should probably get back to stirring my team's curry."

"Mwehehehe! Not a chance!" She clamped down on his forearm. "You're my perma-lifter-upper for this round!"

"Futaba, here! You can stand on this." Makoto grabbed a nearby stool and set it under Futaba's feet.

"Whoa! A height boost! You're the best, Makoto!"

Futaba was now able to stir the curry with ease, allowing Ren to tend to his own curry. She leaned over her team's pot, strands of her long hair spilled over her shoulder and nearly took a swim in the curry but Makoto quickly brushed them out of the way. "Ah - Futaba, your hair!"

"Geez!" said Ann. "Hold still for a sec."

She pulled out one of her hair ties and quickly gathered Futaba's hair into a loose ponytail.

"How cute!" Makoto exclaimed. Ann giggled and tightened Futaba's ponytail before tying up her own hair into a high ponytail.

"Yeah, you should totally wear your hair like that more often!"

"May I take a picture?" Haru popped into the kitchen, holding her phone out. Futaba, unaccustomed to being fussed over, ducked her head and raised her arms over her face.

"Shtop it you guys!" She hopped off the stool. "I'm gonna go check on Inari."

The girls smiled at the sight of their bashful surrogate little sister before returning to the task on hand. Ann set her team's curry to boil and left to pick out spices and Haru returned to her seat. Makoto came over to inspect the secret ingredient collection, contemplating which one to add next.

Morgana raised himself on his hind legs. "Look alive, contestants! By now all teams should be on the simmering step but what's this? Yusuke has-"

"You cut the carrots into flowers?!" Futaba's mouth hung open, aghast.

"Roses," said he, with a flourish. "I wanted our curry to be aesthetically pleasing both to the mouth and eyes."

"What happened? You cut the potatoes so quickly. I thought we'd catch up by now..."

"I'll admit, I could not think of an appealing shape for the potatoes as readily as I did for the carrots. So I settled for cubes. Allow me to cut the remainder of the carrots. I should be able to make at least four more."

She waved her hands up and down. "Just cut the rest into chunks! It doesn't matter - we're going to boil everything so everything will lose its shape!"

Yusuke gasped at this revelation. "That's right. This is a stew. In their delicate forms they will only wilt in that vat of boiling liquid. However, if we were to lay them on the side..."

"It'll be fine! Probably. Anyway, just cut the rest so we can get a move on!"

Makoto tapped her chin and glanced at the timer. The base for their curry was done. It was just getting the timing right for the more heat-sensitive ingredients.

Haru held out her measuring spoon like a mic. "Mako-chan! A question from the floor."

"Yes, Judge Haru?"

"Would you enlighten us on your choice of secret ingredients for your curry?"

"Well, apples are a staple in my curry and we added honey to balance the spiciness and to tenderize the meat."

"So mellow and sweet for Team Ren and Makoto, is it?" Haru hummed.

"Actually we're going for something with a little more kick. Something that will ignite the tastebuds and can only be satisfied by washing it down with coffee."

Haru caught the glint in her eye, all too reminiscent of their leader whenever he did something unexpected. She had to wonder what had occurred during their little shopping trip.

Morgana's tail swished to and fro. "Sounds adventurous! Will you be trying something new?"

"That's - I will be right back."

Ren chuckled nefariously to himself and Makoto thought she glimpsed a mad scientist at work instead of her curry partner.

"Put a little love into it." Just as he was about to tip the box and its entire contents of chili powder into the pot, she swiped it from him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Following my heart?" he replied, looking very much like a scolded puppy.

She balked. "_No! _Think of Futaba and the rest of us who can't handle that level of spicy!"

"But-"

"No buts!" She inched past him and carefully tapped the box once. A tiny cloud of chili powder scattered over the boiling mixture. She set the box on the shelf above the stove before thinking twice and held onto it. "Maybe I should stir for a bit. Why don't you go rest?"

"No, I'm...fine." he mumbled as his eyes followed the box of chili powder hidden behind her back.

She sighed softly. "Plus you're getting a little sweaty." Before she realized it, she reached up and brushed his bangs aside, wiping his forehead with the back of her sleeve.

He blinked. She blinked.

"I mean-! That was-!" Her head whipped around frantically at the other members around the stove. Yusuke appeared to be intent on measuring the precise amount of cardamom needed and Ryuji had his head turned as well but she could tell he was snickering and might have mumbled something about "old married couples".

Ren's face was flushed as he handed her the ladle. "Yeah, no. Take the ladle. I need water."

He nearly tripped when Ann purposely stage whispered, "Goals!" when he passed by her.

Ryuji stirred and stirred. Ren had told him the amount of liquid would reduce by a third but this was taking forever! He turned the heat up. The curry began to froth and spatter. This was more like it!

Makoto raised one eyebrow. "Um, Ryuji?"

"Yo, Ann! Can I get some yogurt?"

"Sure thing. Whoa! It's getting everywhere." Ann stopped short, spoon in hand.

"Don't worry! If I stir fast enough the curry won't burn and it'll cook faster. Win-win."

"Yeah, but the stove's getting-"

"But nothing! Gimme the yogurt!"

Makoto raised her hand in front of their pot. "Wait. Don't add the yogurt just yet."

"Why?" they asked in unison.

"Your curry's too hot. The yogurt will just curdle."

Ann made a face and quickly lowered the fire. "I'm putting this back in the fridge. Call me when it's simmering."

Ryuji groaned and hung his head. So much for getting ahead.

"Also, be sure to add the yogurt gradually in small spoonfuls." Makoto advised, making sure her team's curry wasn't burning on the bottom. He copied her.

"So Makoto, you said this needs to stew for an hour minimum?"

"That's what I do but it all depends on how thick or watery you want your curry to be. The longer you let it simmer, the thicker the consistency not to mention, the better the taste."

"Man," he sighed. "I feel like I'm just standing around waiting for things to happen. Makes me wanna keep lifting the lid, see how much it's cooked, ya know?"

"You can go sit if you want." she offered.

"For real?"

"Trust me. Just leave it. You can check in about fifteen minutes to add the yogurt."

"If you say so. I'mma go sit down now."

He joined Ann in one of the booths. "Whatcha playing?"

She shared her Vita with him. "It's this game about a group of friends solving small town mysteries."

Futaba rushed over. "Lemme see!"

"Okay. You play." Ann giggled and placed the console in Futaba's hands. "Let's explore the mall. It's the most popular hangout spot in the game and it's got the catchiest jingle."

Yusuke smiled at the sight of floating his carrot-art on top of the curry mixture. "Should I parboil the vegetables?" he asked Makoto.

She gathered empty bowls and knives and soaked them in the sink. "No need. Low fire, like the rest of us."

He nodded and added the spices. "I too shall go rest for now. My, we're cutting it close. I hope we'll be able to finish in time."

Makoto tucked her hair behind her ear. Everything was going smoothly so far.

_Now the question is, should I leave it to simmer or should we add something?_

Ren suddenly appeared at Makoto's side with a ladle and a saucer in hand. "Our curry's been stewing for about thirty minutes. I want to taste it - see if we need to make any adjustments."

Makoto lifted the lid and stepped aside. Ren swirled the curry then dipped the ladle into the center of the vortex, extracting a small amount into the saucer. He sipped it and grunted in approval.

"How is it? Do we need to add anything?"

He rotated the saucer where his mouth had been and held it an inch away from her lips. "Would you like to see for yourself?"

There was that insufferable smirk again. There was that smug tone in his voice that made her want to rise to the occasion. _Let it go_, she told herself. _You're playing right into his hands if you react._

She leaned away and whisked the saucer from his fingers. "I would."

"Ann," she said, keeping her eyes on him. "May I borrow your ladle?"

"Uh, sure. I'm not using it now."

"Thank you." She scooped up some curry and tried it. She pursed her lips. "I think it's...good."

Ren raised one eyebrow. "But...?"

"Actually, it's a little spicier than I like."

They locked eyes again.

"Dude. Makoto and Ren are doin' their staring thing again." came Ryuji's voice, calling lazily from the booths. Ann waved her hand dismissively.

"Eh, leave them be. You know how it is when they get like this."

Makoto leveled her gaze. "I think we should add some yogurt to balance it out. Wait. Does Haru take her coffee black or with milk?"

He thought for a second. "Milk with some sugar, if I remember correctly."

"Milk it is. But we'll add it towards the very end."

"Fine with me. I'm going to start reducing the liquid now."

She placed the saucer next to the stove then turned towards the sink to rinse off the ladle. "Okay. I'm going pack some of the secret ingredients in the fridge."

He nodded and gave the curry one final stir before stepping away.

"And that should do it." Ren set the stove dial to low and left the curry uncovered for it to thicken.

The only team at the stove now was Yusuke and Futaba. The timer ticked down to twenty minutes.

"I have an idea. What if we mixed the honey and yogurt together?" Yusuke proposed.

"Hmm. Should be fine. Let's give it a try."

Yusuke poured the yogurt and honey in a bowl when he noticed Futaba hovering at his side.

"I can do it. I'm good at stirring."

Yusuke handed her the bowl and tried not show how highly intrigued he was at the little sound effects she made while mixing.

He sampled a chunk of potato while she stirred. No good. It was still raw in the middle.

"Be sure to add the yogurt in small amounts so it mixes evenly with the curry. You don't want lumpy curry." Futaba instructed.

"Certainly not." he replied as he swirled their curry. At this point, it was more soup than curry.

Futaba stood on tiptoe and watched her curry partner draw the ladle across in delicate strokes, left and right, up and down in a pattern. He was painting and this time his canvas was the sea of curry before him. She inched closer and observed the curry landscape with him. They had added all the ingredients they wanted and it was simmering nicely. However...

She chewed on her lower lip. "Hey, Inari? I don't think we're gonna finish in time."

"Perhaps, but why do you care to mention this now?" He continued to stir, unperturbed by her comment.

"Well, cuz. It's a contest and look at where all the other teams are. Besides..." She pinched her thumbs. "Guess what I'm trying to say is, sorry I slowed us down. I should've gotten to the cutting faster but-"

Yusuke held a hand up and directed her attention to their team's curry.

"We may have been the slowest but I've learned quite a lot from this entire cooking process. And I think I've come to appreciate the complexities of curry as a whole."

Futaba smiled and rocked back and forth on her heels. "Yeah. That's why mom liked making curry."

Yusuke set the ladle down and faced her. "I must thank you for this eye-opening experience. Were I to be a judge as I originally wanted, I would've missed out on all this."

She poked his arm shyly. "Don't get all sappy on me. I just whined till you agreed. But um, thanks. For going along with it."

From behind the counter, Makoto glanced surreptitiously at them, smiling into her hand.

"I was a little worried about them." She whispered to Ren. "Futaba's come a long way since she's joined us."

"Yeah. She really has. They both have."

"Mm-hmm." Ann whispered, joining them. "You can't help but watch over them."

Ren leaned against the wall as he observed them. It only felt like yesterday - Futaba was learning how to come out of her shell by engaging in basic conversation. Their initial attempts at small talk only yielded one-word responses from a stubborn Futaba until Yusuke messed with her Featherman action figures. As it turned out, Futaba was great at making comebacks and retorts once she got comfortable with someone. _Is this how it feels to see a child grow before you? I wonder if this is how Boss feels when he takes care of her. Oh yeah, I should-_

Ren pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of Futaba smiling from ear-to-ear, stirring the curry with one hand on the ladle, the other waving up and down as she chatted animatedly with Yusuke. Makoto peeked over his shoulder and he held a finger to his lips. She nodded once and smiled at the photo, indicating that she knew his intentions. Sojiro would definitely appreciate seeing his daughter taking after her mother, though he had a roundabout way of expressing it.

Morgana lolled on the counter and yawned. He stretched his hind legs and cleaned his whiskers. Now that all teams were lounging about waiting for their curry to be done, he could take a short break from commenting.

"So, Haru."

"Yes, Mona-chan."

"Tell me about the coffee you're making for the contest."

"Well, these beans are the ones I grew on the school rooftop. I made sure they got plenty of sunlight until they were fully ripened. It's my first harvest and I'm hoping I can make good coffee with them."

She stood up and patted her dress. "Speaking of which, there's less than twenty minutes on the timer. It's about time I brew coffee for the judging panel. Excuse me."

"Go Haru! Leave the commentary to me!"

Haru looked up and down the shelves. She saw cups, mugs, teapots and jars and jars of coffee beans. Then she saw three kettles sitting on the counter in between the drip coffee makers.

"Ren-kun, would Sakura-san mind if I used one of these kettles?"

"Go ahead." He handed one to her and led her to the sink. "This tap is for filtered water. The French press is stored on that shelf or would you prefer the pour over method?"

She thanked him and set the water to boil. "French press, please. I'll handle the rest."

Haru returned to her seat to prepare. Ren brought her a grinder and noticed her staring absently at the coffee beans in her hand and crinkling the brown paper bag in the other.

"Haru? You can use this grinder for your beans."

"Oh! Thank you. If you could just set it over there, that would be just lovely."

He pointed at the beans in her hand. "Those are some nice coffee beans."

"Mm-hmm. I worked hard growing them. Do you think...Takakura-san would like them?" She cast her eyes down worriedly at the countertop. Her fingers fidgeted with the paper bag.

President Takakura. Ren wanted to believe the rumors of him wanting to capitalize on Kunikazu Okumura's death were false. If they could just meet, he was certain that Haru's words would reach him.

He gave her a curt nod. "Believe in yourself. I'm sure he'll recognize your efforts."

Relief broke over her face causing her to giggled quietly. "You're right. I'll be okay."

After taking a deep breath she looked up at him. "I'm going to contact Takakura-san after this. I have to know what he plans to do with my father's company."

"Good luck with that. Milk and cream's in the fridge and sugar's in that cabinet on the second shelf if you need it."

She began grinding the beans. "Thank you. By the way, ten minutes left everyone!"

Ann's head snapped up from her vita. "Ryuji! Could you check on our curry?"

"No problem." He jogged over to the stove. He looked at his team's curry then at Team Ren and Makoto's curry, the liquid reduced by a third, then back to his team's curry. He began tapping his foot and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Ren sampled their curry once more as Morgana yowled, "Five minutes remaining!"

He gasped and snapped his fingers. "Oh, right! The milk!"

Makoto reacted before Ren did. She sprinted to the refrigerator. "I'll get it! You just keep stirring!"

"I'm counting on you!"

"Ren!" Makoto held the carton out like a baton. He took it, splashed some milk into the curry and passed it back. She promptly returned it to the fridge as Ren shut the fire off signaling that their curry was ready for judging.

"Nice work." He raised his hand high.

"Same to you." With a tiny hop, she raised her hand over her head and high-fived him squarely in the center of his palm.

"Oh! What a passionate high five!" exclaimed an enthused Morgana. "And Team Ren and Makoto finishes with three minutes to spare. I expected no less from them! Everyone else, use that time to make whatever finishing touches you need. Don't give in now! We're on the last spurt!"

"Geez, Mona! It's a cooking contest not Bario Kart 8!" cried Futaba. "Inari! Keep the fire going until the clock hits zero. I'm gonna go scoop rice."

"I'll help." Ann fluffed the rice with a rice paddle and Futaba spread out three white plates next to the rice cooker. "Ryuji, I'm pretty sure our curry's done but make sure it's cooked all the way?"

He raised his hand, forming a circle with his thumb and index finger. "Done and done!"

Haru smiled at the sight of her friends joking around and laughing. She couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun with a group of people her age.

Makoto passed her with a handful of silverware. "We're almost ready!"

She nodded. "Yes! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's results. This is so exciting!"

"Ten seconds!"

Morgana began the countdown: "Five, four, three, two, one… Stop! Ladles down! It's time for the judging!"

He popped the timer right before it rang just as Haru returned holding a tray with eight cups of her first batch of garden-grown coffee.

"Alright! Haru's finished making coffee. Now then, whose curry would you like to try first?"

"Oh! Oh! Us! Pick us!" Ryuji waved his hand wildly. "We wanna go first!"

"Well, I certainly can't deny that enthusiasm." Haru sat on one of Leblanc's stools and set her coffee to the side. She folded her hands together, exemplifying proper etiquette. "If you please, Team Ryuji and Ann."

"Hmph." Ryuji stood proud, leaning forward on one knee, like a pirate captain overseeing his ship. "Hope y'all are ready for Team Ryuji and Ann's curry. We're gonna feast like kings today."

He flashed a thumbs-up to his fellow brothers-in-arms.

"Oh yeah."

"Verily."

"Ryuji, why does our curry look darker than the others?"

Ann was treated to the sight of bite-sized chunks of carrots and potatoes flecked with charcoal swimming in a vat of brown sludge.

He peeked over her shoulder. She side-eyed him.

He threw his hands up in defense. "Okay! Before you get mad - I was following the recipe! It said to reduce the liquid down to like, a third or something but we only had uh, twenty minutes left? And our curry was only up to here. So I did some calculations and I might've turned up the heat a little to make up some time..."

_Calculations. After your most recent test score in math? Really? _Ann sighed. She didn't have the strength to argue. It was lunchtime and her stomach demanded food. She picked around the burnt curry, salvaging what she could.

"Is everything okay you two?" asked Haru.

"If you want," said Ren. "We could-"

"Nah! It's cool!" Ryuji waved his arms up and down. "We're good! We're ready! Right, Ann?"

Ann placed the plate in front of Haru hesitantly. "Um, bon appétit."

Morgana bounded over. "Now then, let's have a look here. Lady Ann and Ryuji's curry - at first glance it resembles um...a, uh..."

"BBQ sauce?" Ren offered.

"Yeah! That! Like BBQ sauce only thicker. And darker." Morgana wrinkled his nose. "I can smell the pork. Slightly charred like a yakiniku grill."

"My, my. I've never seen curry this dark before." Haru remarked. She stirred it with her spoon. Using a stick to play with mud came to mind.

Ann put her hands together in apology. "You don't have to eat it."

"I'll at least have one bite. It's only fair."

Haru tasted the curry first and followed up with a sip of her coffee.

"It's quite flavorful and like Mona-chan said, has that charred aftertaste of grilled meat. I like it."

"You're too nice, Haru."

"Aww, thanks. Hope we're not settin' the bar too high for everyone."

Haru only giggled then set Team Ryuji and Ann's plate aside.

Morgana looked from Haru to the remaining two teams. "Seems like Haru approves. Whose curry to you want to try next?"

Haru turned towards Futaba who hid behind Yusuke. "I'm very interested in trying your team's curry. Especially with how you prepared the carrots and potatoes."

Yusuke perked up and whisked up a ladle and a plate of rice. "Very well! Allow me to serve you."

He made an impression in the center of the mound of rice and slathered their curry over it, then slid his artistic curry masterpiece on the counter.

"Oh ho ho!" Morgana chortled. "What a snappy presentation!"

"It's an effin' volcano!" Ryuji shouted, pumping his fists.

"You're such a little kid." Ann teased.

"He is a kid." said Futaba dryly. She now hid behind Makoto, anxious and nervous to hear Haru's evaluation.

"It'll be fine." Makoto whispered reassuringly. "Haru's the nicest judge you could ever have."

Team Yusuke and Futaba's curry was the exact opposite of Team Ryuji and Ann's curry in terms of texture and consistency. Where the latter's reminded one of molasses or peanut butter, the former's was like vegetable soup or undercooked chowder.

"Ooh, soupy." Haru mixed the curry into the rice.

"You don't have to eat it all!" Futaba cried.

"Please do, I insist. Also, note the delicate floral arrangement." Yusuke indicated at the half-boiled rose-shaped carrots that floated in the crater of the "volcano".

"Roses! How lovely." She ate one. "The petals are soft but the center is firm and-"

"Not finished! I know, I know, I know! I kept telling Inari that but noooo he said it was fine!"

"Futaba, it's okay! It's not the end of the world! At least you didn't burn it." said Ann, side-eying Ryuji. He whistled innocently.

After taking another sip of coffee Haru gave her opinion. "To be perfectly honest, it's on the lighter side though I will say it's a good mix of spices - I don't think you need to add anything else. But it does need to cook some more to fully bring out the flavor."

"See? _See?!_" Futaba hissed.

"But I do appreciate the attention to detail and the presentation. Good job, you two."

Yusuke bowed. "That was a fair evaluation. I shall endeavor to do better provided we omit the time limit next time around."

Ren inspected Yusuke and Futaba's curry pot. "Futaba, Yusuke. Why don't you guys finish cooking your curry while Haru finishes judging? I'd say you only have to cook it for another thirty minutes."

"Another thirty?" Futaba asked, glancing from Ren to the pot of curry.

"It's not that much longer really."

"Unless you're Ryuji then that's like forever and a half." Morgana snickered.

They all laughed.

"Ha ha. Very funny guys." Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Can we get back to the judging now?"

Haru clapped her hands together to restore order. "Okay! Last but not least, Team Ren and Makoto. Whenever you're ready, you two."

Ren smiled at his curry partner. "Would you like to do the honors, Makoto?"

There was not a hint of mischief in his eyes and he seemed proud that they were presenting their curry last. _Saving the best for last, was it?_

She smiled back. "It would be my pleasure."

As she ladled the curry next to a single serving of rice, she couldn't help but notice its distinct yet vaguely familiar color. _Our curry's quite ruddy. We did add more spices than usual and we've boiled it down to at least half. That must be it._

Makoto nodded to herself as if that would convince her brain that was the only logical explanation.

_Goodness_, _I feel a little like Goldilocks, _Haru thought to herself as she was presented the final plate of curry for judging.

"Wow. This looks pretty similar to Leblanc's curry right down to the consistency of the sauce and the smell." Haru's mouth watered and Ryuji tried not to sigh. Fun. Having fun was the goal not winning he kept telling his competitive side.

"Well, that's a given." Morgana shrugged. "Now, Haru! Eat up!" _Then it's lunchtime! Food! Food! Fooooddd!_

"Here I go." Haru spooned a bite-sized amount with one hand hovering below the spoon and took a bite. Her face blossomed red. "My, Ren and Makoto's curry is quite…quite daring. This spice level is, ahem, stronger than what I'm accustomed to." Haru plucked a handkerchief from her pocket and covered her mouth politely.

"Excuse me," she said in between coughs. "I can't seem to stop coughing."

Makoto's brow furrowed. Perhaps hot curry wasn't such a good idea. She never did ask Haru about her tolerance for spicy food. _But I did make sure that Ren didn't go overboard with the red pepper. I'm sure I did._

"Haru, are you sure you can continue?" Morgana asked.

She nodded and coughed some more. "Yes, Mona-chan. I'm fine now. I just need some coffee."

Yusuke handed her a cup. "Thank you, Yusuke-kun."

"Tickle, tickle, go away." she said in a sing-song voice. Then she took a long swig and drained the cup.

Haru's cheeks were tomato-red but she remained the picture of composure as she daintily dabbed her mouth and nose with a napkin.

Everyone watched her expectantly. Ryuji and Morgana waited with bated breath.

"My, my everyone's curry was unique." she began. "We had savory, mellow, and spicy. Each of the team's curry complemented my coffee in its own way."

"So who won?" asked Ryuji, unable stand the suspense any longer.

"I think it's obvious. Hehehe." Futaba snickered behind her hands. She peeked at Ren and Makoto, proud of her surrogate older brother who lived upstairs in Leblanc's attic and her surrogate older sister who acted very motherly towards her.

"Well, I think I will announce the winner later."

Before Ryuji or Morgana had a chance to object, Haru clapped her hands together and asked, "But first, who's hungry? We have the curry we just made and I've prepared coffee for everyone. Please let me know what you think after lunch."

"Great, I'm starving!" Ann cheered.

"I'll start scooping the rice. Futaba, will you help me pass the plates?" said Makoto.

Morgana looked at each pot. "Seeing as Ren and Makoto actually finished making their curry, I suppose that's what you guys will be eating."

"Everyone feel free to take as much as you want. There's plenty." said Ren magnanimously.

"And when our curry is done, you may partake of it if you are still hungry." added Yusuke.

"What about ours?" asked Ryuji, sheepishly kicking at the ground.

"Eh, we can deal with that later." said Ren, giving himself a generous helping.

...

With seven plates of curry and one dish of canned cat food served, the Phantom Thieves took their favorite spots at the booths and bar, ready to dig in.

"LET'S EAT!" Ryuji yelled.

"Mmmflluawrygul!" said Morgana who was already ears-deep into his lunch.

"Cheers, guys!" Ann lifted her coffee cup high.

Makoto stared at her team's curry. She just couldn't shake that sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind. It was too red, the smell made her eyes water, plus there was Haru's reaction from earlier. Or she was just being paranoid.

She held her breath and took a bite when she heard someone smother their laughter. That's when she locked eyes with Ren. Her lips tingled and the burn began to spread from her mouth to the back of her throat.

_But when? When?! _Her eyes widened. The milk. Was. A ruse. A diversion.

Horror dawned on her face as she saw _THAT ACCURSED SMIRK _and the world seemed to move in slow motion as she watched everyone take their first bite.

**"YOU TRICKSTER!"**

Her spoon clattered to the ground as she lunged at Futaba. "Futaba, wait! Don't eat it!"

* * *

Leblanc was filled with wails of agony and torment. Cries of sanctuary, sanctuary from the "curry from hell" could be heard all the way to a certain back alley doctor's office.

Everyone had keeled over in Leblanc's booth seats with half-finished plates of curry and multiple empty glasses of water.

"Inari. Oi, Inari." Futaba poked at her curry partner who was draped like the dead over one of the booth tables.

"There is no response. It's just a corpse." she deadpanned.

Futaba stood in the middle of the walkway, surveying her friends with a cheeky grin, arms akimbo. "Who's still hungry?"

"Please, no more…" one of the boys groaned.

"Let me finish! Sojiro thought this would happen and soooo~!"

She went into the kitchen and pulled out a cylindrical stock pot from the fridge. "He made us some of his own curry! Ren, help me heat it up!"

Ren groaned and pushed himself off the counter.

"We're saved!" cried the girls.

Yusuke lifted his head and sniffed the air. "Please, make haste! That pot of curry is just begging to be devoured immediately!"

...

Leblanc's curry special of the day. Those who frequented the hole-in-the-wall café, knew it was impossible to stop after just one bite. Ren knew it all too well from the time Sojiro had unexpectedly made him a most unusual breakfast on the first day of school. The grumpy Manager claimed he needed some meat on his bones and as his guardian, it'd reflect badly on him if his ward appeared malnourished.

With a piping hot plate of curry set before him, Ren ate his second serving with great gusto. He let the complex flavors melt over his tongue, enjoying the aftertaste before cleansing his palette and beginning the cycle anew. Despite having it everyday for breakfast, he never tired of this dish. Regardless of what Sojiro claimed his reasons to be, he always seemed to go out of his way to provide him with something delicious and filling instead of taking the more convenient, low-budget option of canned or instant foods. And whenever Ren thanked him for the meal, he would just wave him off dismissively, telling him not to make a big deal out of it. But Ren knew what he meant.

Ann smiled uncontrollably as she ate bite after bite of perfectly spiced curry. Morgana sat on the stool next to her, purring and languidly cleaning his fur. Ann always looked like she was enjoying life to the fullest whenever they ate together. Makoto noted how tender and well-seasoned the beef was, how each bite-sized chunk of carrots, potatoes, and onions was thoroughly cooked and easy to swallow. And the spice combination! She now had a new challenge for the next round of "exam curry". Ryuji wolfed it down despite having consumed the equivalent of a Comet Burger-sized portion of Team Ren and Makoto's super spicy curry. The flavor was plain addicting and it drowned out the bitterness of Haru's coffee. Ryuji considered adding Leblanc's curry to his food list of weekly "must-haves". Ramen still remained at the top of his list, however. Yusuke was only too happy to be fed such a scrumdiddlyumptious and salubrious meal. The scent alone was all it took to reawaken his voracious appetite. Haru supped up the sauce and combined it with a spoonful of rice. She put a hand to her cheek. Yes, this is what she wanted to emulate for her culinary business. A quaint place tucked away in a small corner of Tokyo that provided a warm home-cooked meal. Her restaurant would focus not on profit, but on the happiness of her customers and her employees, the same way her grandfather's café had.

Everyone sighed in satisfaction, pushed their plates and cups away, and leaned back or slumped over in their seats. Haru settled comfortably into her seat and massaged her tummy. She decided it would be best to poll everyone's opinions on her coffee at a later time.

Futaba licked her spoon clean and stood tall on a stool, grinning like a little gremlin. She puffed her chest out, scanning the room from left to right, highly amused by the grand results of the curry catastrophe.

"And the winner is?"

"Sojiro." came the food-coma'ed chorus of Phantom Thieves, sprawled over Leblanc's booths and barstools.


	3. Chapter 3

**Aftermath of the Curry Catastrophe**

_Afterword: Show's over. Sojiro won. Go home. It's just Team Mom and Dad cleaning up._

* * *

Ren and Makoto cleaned the kitchen. Ren was set to clean the kitchen by himself, though his friends offered to help. He had insisted they head home and that this amount of clean up was the norm during his shift at Leblanc. They conceded after wiping the tables and soaking the plates and the silverware in the sink but Makoto stayed behind knowing he was planning on doing a complete scrub-down of the café. After a bit of a playful back and forth with him stating that a lady as noble and considerate as she, need not preoccupy herself with cleaning for he knew she had a whole host of things that took priority, and her insisting that it was perfectly fine and that it would only be right since Sojiro had so generously allowed them the full day to use his business establishment for a crazy cooking contest, Ren cheerfully accepted her offer. Cleaning was the least they could do to show their appreciation, she had told him before swiping the towel slung over his shoulder and began scrubbing the gunk off one of the stock pots. Ren then located a mop and bucket and while they performed their immediate tasks, they discussed how to divide the rest of the cleaning evenly.

He packed away the leftover ingredients and wiped down the counters while she washed the dishes. What was left of Sojiro's curry was divided up evenly between the group and they all went home well-fed and ready for a nap.

She noticed as he scoured the grime off the stovetop, that he had purposely left one plastic bag out. She stacked the last plate onto the dishrack and dried the knives and the cutlery. After placing the knives in the drawer she turned towards Ren who had just finished sweeping the crumbs off the counter and into the wastebasket.

"Ren, earlier when you, um, modified our curry was that-"

"Uh-oh." He broke off a piece of chocolate and held it teasingly between his teeth. "I think I broke off too much. I could use a little help finishing it."

Makoto felt a blush rise to her cheeks in indignation. He inched closer, dangling the block of chocolate inches from her mouth. "C'mon, you know you wanna."

She suddenly registered his hand on the small of her back, reeling her in.

His smirk grew wider as her face grew redder.

Something went off inside Makoto and without warning, she seized him by the collar, and fiercely crashed her lips into his and nabbed the chocolate. She broke away, smacking her lips. "Huh, that's pretty good. I think that's 72% dark or even 80%? Do you have any more?"

Ren was standing so still, he could fool anyone into thinking he was a professional living statue. A crimson-faced statue.

Her mouth hung open and she blinked a few times in disbelief. She had never seen him so red, so shocked, so...cute?

Ha! Half of her felt triumphant for all the times he made her flustered but the other half felt a bit ashamed for acting so impulsively. Was she not supposed to be the refined and elegant student council president? And yet somehow, he always knew exactly what to say and what to do to bring out her impulsive side.

She folded her hands together. "T-that was... Well, I mean you were asking for it. You should know teasing has its limits."

He didn't move a muscle. He didn't even blink.

"R-Ren?" She was beginning to worry. "I-I'm really sorry. I went too far this time. Please, if you can hear me, uh, at least blink?"

He did. Or at least his body did involuntarily.

"Ren…?"

This was starting to get a little scary and she contemplated googling, "How to break your boyfriend out of his kiss-induced stupor even though he deserved it".

She also thought of sending Ann or Haru an SOS message...

**_Help. _ **  
**_I think I broke Ren. _ **  
**_Leblanc Cafe. _ **  
**_Now. _ **  
**_Help me. _ **  
**_Please._**

...Before thinking twice about it. More likely than not, they would never let both of them live it down and Ann would definitely take pictures.

Makoto shook her head clear of those thoughts, grabbed both of Ren's wrists and somehow led him to one of the bar stools and had him sit down. And there he sat, hunched over like a half-melted snowman with the thousand-yard stare, as Makoto was on the verge of a mini-panic attack, unsure of what to do.

The shopkeepers bell chimed and Sojiro waltzed in.

"Don't mind me, just came to grab some things...oh, it's just you two?"

"Boss! Good afternoon!" Makoto bowed quickly hoping he wouldn't notice how red her face was.

If he did, he didn't make a show of it. Sojiro lazily waved his hand. "Afternoon. How'd the curry contest go?"

"It was, um - good. We had a lot of fun. Thank you very much for letting us use your café."

He turned away, pretending to rifle through some magazines and scratched his temple. "Ah, well. Futaba was so excited - how could I say no? Looks like you even mopped and swept the floors. Very nice of you. Hmm?" He zeroed in on Ren who was slumped over the counter.

Makoto jumped and held a hand up as he walked past her. "B-Boss! We also made sure to clean up the kitchen. Everything should be in tip-top shape-"

But Sojiro's attention was already on his young protégé who from the side, appeared to be doing an impression of Yamcha's pose - sitting down.

"Hey! What's the matter with you?" Sojiro clapped Ren on the back.

Ren groaned and uttered, "Too...hot…"

Makoto hid her face.

Sojiro shoved his hair back, which was doing him no favors for his receding hairline. He heaved a long suffering sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I keep telling you to follow my instructions. But you always hafta 'follow your heart'. Can't be helped. Lemme make something for you to help you cool off."

He turned to Makoto. "Niijima-san."

Makoto jerked her head. Sojiro beckoned her into the kitchen. "Give this old man a hand."

He poured a glass of milk. "So. He do something to you?"

"Wha-? How-?" she exclaimed, fumbling for an explanation.

"You don't have to tell me. But let me guess, the kid was being..."

"A total joker, yes."

Sojiro capped the carton of milk and put it back in the fridge.

She clasped her hands. "I'm not sure what to do."

Sojiro looked around in co-conspiratorial fashion before whispering, "I'll let you in on a little secret: Men are stupid. Especially when they want a certain lady's special attention. Sometimes, the cure is to go back to the source of what caused it."

Makoto crimsoned.

Sojiro scratched the back of his head. "Or was that for hangovers...?" he mumbled to himself.

He handed the glass of milk to Makoto. "Anyway, bring this out to him. Don't mind me. I've got to take inventory."

Makoto thanked him. He grunted and turned his attention to the stockpile of disposable cutlery and tableware.

Makoto held the glass of milk in both hands, careful not to spill. As she came out of the kitchen she could still hear Sojiro tallying how many napkins and straws he needed to restock.

She walked over to Ren, glass in hand. "Here. Boss made this for you."

She set it in front of him. Ren remained dumbstruck, staring at the glass before him. When Ren didn't budge she slid the glass closer.

She wrung her hands. "Geez! How long are you going to keep this up?"

_Sometimes the best cure is to go back to what caused it in the first place. _NO! Absolutely not! And certainly not in front of Sojiro-san…

Makoto made a noise that was a cross between a sigh and a whine and took one of his hands. She lowered her eyes, feeling heat spread across her face. "I'm sorry. I-I promise I won't do that again. So please..."

"That...would be troublesome."

She looked up. Ren turned his hand over and squeezed her fingers, giving her a small, lopsided smile.

She cleared her throat. "I don't know what came over me."

"Yeah. My bad."

Then after a moment: "I wouldn't mind if you did it again."

She jerked her hand out of his grasp. "Hey! Are- are you actually sorry?"

"But I like it when you're spontaneous. It's a rare thing, coming from you. 'Tis a moment to be treasured." He placed a hand over his heart in dramatic fashion.

"H-how can you even say that with a straight face..." She twiddled her fingers. "If I'm going to do that I'd rather…" She trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.

Ren looked down at his hands, biting back a blush and a smile. After taking a moment to collect himself he told her, "The spice blend you made was good. Can I come over the next time you make curry before exams?"

She coughed quietly into her fist. "O-Only if you promise not to go wild with the spice level."

He chuckled quietly and gestured his hand towards her. "I'll leave that to you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Now that you mention it, you purposely snuck in some more chili powder at the last minute, didn't you?"

Ren's face was the picture of innocence. "Whatever do you mean?"

She smirked and leaned forward. "Was it because of what Ryuji said earlier?"

He smirked back and met her eyes. Ren's curly bangs brushed against her straight ones. "All I can say in my defense is: I was just following my heart."

She straightened and smiled at him knowingly. "All right, then. Keep your secrets."

He only laughed wryly.

"Everything alright out there?" Sojiro popped out of the kitchen, notepad in hand, pencil tucked behind his ear.

"Yes, sir." answered Ren.

"Good to see you functioning again. Oh yeah, there's an extra kettle of water on the stove that needs to be used up. Do what you want with it. Give it to the plants or something - I don't care."

"Right."

"Well, I'm off. Lock up after me, will you? Thanks."

Ren and Makoto both waved goodbye. Leblanc's door swung shut, the bell chimed, and the café settled back into its usual quiet atmosphere.

Ren took this moment to sip his milk in silence while Makoto looked around the room pretending to be fixated by the light fixtures. She pursed her lips desperately thinking of something to say, inwardly begging Ren to stop taking deliberate slow sips of milk and resume their little repartee. She glanced woefully at the cheery yellow vintage telephone at the far end of the counter, wishing it would ring to break the awkward silence. She blamed herself for the lull in conversation. It was almost always a guarantee whenever she tried socializing whether it was in a group or one-on-one with her peers. The only time she was able to successfully converse with people for longer than fifteen consecutive minutes was for student council meetings but that mostly comprised of her delegating or debating or discussing school-related matters.

How in the world did Ren do it? How come he always knew the right things to say?

She sighed quietly. _The ratio of flowing conversations to awkward silences in my life is not ideal _. Her eyes roved past the stained glass lamps and over the warm, mahogany and walnut tones of Leblanc's polished, wooden interior. Everything about Leblanc from the ambiance to the decor was homey and cozy…just like the coffee Sojiro served. And then there were the baristas who contributed to that mellow and languid atmosphere. She looked at the boy in front of her who loved serving her coffee with a winning smile - just for her. This is what he saw. Another perspective.

She lightly drummed her fingertips on the counter. "So this is what it's like to be on the barista's side."

"You like it?"

"I've always wondered what things looked like from your point of view."

His eyes flickered towards the kitchen. "Well, Miss Barista, I can see there's a fresh kettle on the stove. If you don't mind, I'd like to place my order. Ethiopian Mocha Harrar. Two spoonfuls of sugar. No more, no less." His hand cut back and forth like a pendulum as he requested his preferred amount of sugar.

She patted the counter. "Sir, this is my first time, you see. I'm afraid I don't have enough experience. If only there was someone to show me."

"Well, you happen to be in luck." He rose and came around the counter. "I'm no expert but from my experience, you're going to need an apron."

...

The kettle was set on a potholder, the coffee beans were accurately measured on a scale, the paper filters thoroughly rinsed, and drip machine was ready to go. Lastly, two cups sat on the counter, waiting for coffee to be poured into them.

"First, grind the beans till they're the consistency of fine soil." Ren stood behind Makoto. His gentle hands enveloped hers as he guided her step by step on brewing a cup of coffee.

"For this type of coffee we want a finer consistency. It will drip slower but the wait is worth it."

She nodded in agreement. "By prolonging the steeping time you allow the flavors to come out, producing a richer taste. Otherwise if you don't grind the beans enough, the water will just seep right through and the coffee will taste bland."

He raised his eyebrows and smiled, impressed. "Very good."

"I did wonder why you ground certain coffee beans to a specific consistency and why some cups of coffee took longer to make than others."

"My, my. To think this humble part-timer would be so closely observed by such an erudite customer like yourself. I'm honored."

She blushed and gently nudged her head against his. Ren slid the drip coffee maker in front of them. "Filters." he prompted. She selected one and placed it in the dripper.

"Add the ground coffee to the filter and then you tap the side, like so," He demonstrated with a light tap to side of the dripper and had her do the rest. "To level the surface of the grounds. Good."

Her hand reached for the kettle and she looked to him for the next step. He nodded. "Now, pour freshly boiled water over the beans in a small circular motion. Pretend you're drawing a spiral with the water starting from the edge, moving towards the center."

Makoto poured the water slowly and evenly over the grounds. Ren had his arms around her waist and he murmured advice into her ear. "That's it. Slow circles. Just like that. Keep it steady."

The coffee bloomed and its fragrance, rich and robust wafted through the air. They both inhaled deeply and "ah'd" at the wonderful aroma.

He grinned and whispered, "You are a natural."

She set the kettle down and beamed at his compliment. "I have a good teacher."

Just as Ren said, the mixture of water and coffee that collected at the top, trickled down at a slow and steady pace.

"We're gonna have to do this about two more times. Okay? Slow and steady. Make sure the water's covering everything."

"Right. Slow and steady. Spiral motion."

When the carafe was about a third full, she placed one of the coffee cups in front of its spout.

"Please, go have a seat so I can serve you."

He pressed his cheek against her hair and rocked them back and forth. "When it's done dripping."

It was almost as if he planned this all along! Well, that was fine. It was comfortable being in his arms - more than she was willing to admit aloud.

The coffee finished dripping after the fourth pour and he returned to his seat. She poured him a cup and slid it forward the way he always did for her. "Enjoy."

He blew, or rather whistled the first few notes of Mozart's Symphony No. 14 (A Major) over the liquid's surface and took a sip.

He set the cup down slowly and smacked his lips. His expression remained neutral. "Hmm."

"Does it meet with your approval, Mr. Barista-in-training?" she asked, in perfect imitation of his barista "persona".

He beckoned with his index finger to, "come closer."

She smiled coyly, knowing what was coming and leaned forward on her elbows. He tapped the cup.

"I'll give a detailed evaluation of this fine cup of coffee after. But first: payment. I shall give what is due for one cup." His hand closed around her elbow. Warmth traveled up her arm. She came closer. He came closer. "And since you don't work here, your payment will not be money but..."

She tasted mocha and a hint of berry on his lips, specifically blackberry. _It's a little bitter. Did I overgrind? Can you overgrind? Maybe it's the temperature of the water that -_

Ren trailed his fingers down her neck and he pulled her into a deeper kiss, causing whatever other self-criticisms she had, to dissolve instantly like sugar cubes swirled in coffee.


End file.
